Also, my "cap/tension screw" is backed out quite a bit. Usually, you only see 2-3 threads, but I see 6-7.

I tightened it down until there was no play, and I can move the pinion by hand (kinda) with ease. Am I supposed to torque it down even more? The BGB says that the pinion should have 2-3 ft. lbs of resistance I believe, which should be easily moved by hand correct?

Nah, I got Power Steering boots which are for the AE86, and tried to put them on the AW11 manual rack. I swear I read you needed p/s rack boots for the AW11 manual rack conversion when using AE86 P/S inner/outer tie rods.

That would be kind of lame to take it too a shop after all the work I've done myself. In Assassin's write-up, he says to "Snug down by hand & wrench until the rack gear/shaft has no lateral (forward/back & up/down) play, but moves left and right with no catching and/or binding. "; I am probably just going to experiment with this, but I wish there was more info.

All the info. you need is in the fsm / bgb and there are no short cuts to doing it right. When the steering rack fails you crash that is the reality.The power steering rack housing is completely different to the manual rack housing and the boots are not interchangeable.

Just put on the AW11 boots. It wasn't really an exact fit since I was using aftermarket Megan inner tie-rods, which have a bigger ball joint housing. It'll go on, just make sure you grease the outside of the ball joint housing a little and work it over.

The Amazon boots worked well, much cheaper than the dealer option at ~30 bucks a pop.

A quick google will get you a copy of the fsm which has the specs. When I first did it I did not have the tools to setup the rack to spec and went by feel (not normally recommended), but I'm fairly mechanically inclined and have had no issues.

Since that write up I've bought & made the tools to 'do it right'.

Its ae86 Manual rack boots or aw11 boots you needed, as you found out.